>> THIS IS A WMUR COMMITMENT 2020 SPECIAL IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE NEW HAMPSHIRE INSTITUTE OF POLITICS, "CONVERSATION WITH THE CANDIDATE. TONIGHT, SENATOR ELIZABETH WARREN.
ADAM: GOOD EVENING AND WELCOME TO OUR CONVERSATION WITH THE CANDIDATE SERIES.
TONIGHT, OUR GUEST IS SENATOR ELIZABETH WARREN.
WE WILL GET TO KNOW WHERE SHE STANDS ON KEY ISSUES.
I WILL START WITH QUESTIONS.
AFTER THE BREAK, THE STUDIO AUDIENCE WILL ASK QUESTIONS IN A TOWN HALL FORMAT.
FIRST, LET US TAKE A LOOK AT THE CANDIDATES A BIOGRAPHY.
ELIZABETH WARREN WAS BORN IN OKLAHOMA CITY IN 1949 AND GRADUATED FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON.
AFTER GETTING HER BACHELOR’S DEGREE, WARREN STARTED TEACHING CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS AT A PUBLIC ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
WHEN HER DAUGHTER TURNED TWO, SHE WENT TO LAW SCHOOL AND GRADUATED WITH A DEGREE FROM RUTGERS.
SHE PRACTICED LAW OUT OF HER LIVING ROOM, THEN BEGAN TEACHING AT RUTGERS, MICHIGAN, HOUSTON, AND FINALLY HARVARD.
MORANT CHAIRED THE CONGRESSIONAL OVERSIGHT PANEL FOR THE TROUBLED ASSET -- WARREN CHAIRED THE CONGRESSIONAL OVERSIGHT PANEL FOR THE TROUBLED ASSET RELIEF PROGRAM BEFORE SERVING AS A
SPECIAL ASSISTANT TO PRESIDENT OBAMA FOR THE CONSUMER FINANCIAL PROTECTION BUREAU.
SHE WAS ELECTED TO THE SENATE IN 2012 AND REELECTED IN 2018.
SHE LIVES IN CAMBRIDGE WITH HER HUSBAND.
ADAM: GOOD TO HAVE YOU HERE.
APPRECIATE YOUR TIME.
ELIZABETH WARREN HAS A PLAN FOR THAT HAS BECOME PART OF THE LEXICON OF THE 2020 RACE, WHICH MUST THRILL YOU.
PERHAPS THIS RACE WILL PLAY OUT ON THE MERITS OF IDEAS.
SENATOR WARREN: I SURE HOPE SO.
I HAVE BEEN AROUND THIS BLOCK BEFORE, AND THAT IS BA IN THE 2012 RACE IN MASSACHUSETTS.
I HAD DONE THE CONGRESSIONAL OVERSIGHT PANEL.
PRESIDENT OBAMA HAD ASKED ME TO SET UP THE CONSUMER FINANCIAL PROTECTION BUREAU.
I HAD SPENT A YEAR DOING THAT.
AND THEN THE REPUBLICAN SAID YOU ARE NEVER GOING TO GET CONFIRMED TO BE THE PERMANENT DIRECTOR OF IT.
I SAID OK.
I’M GOING BACK TO MASSACHUSETTS AND DO WHAT I DO, GO BACK TO TEACHING.
A BUNCH OF PEOPLE STARTED CALLIN ME.
SCOTT BROWN, WHO YOU KNOW, OF COURSE, IN NEW HAMPSHIRE AS WELL.
SCOTT BROWN WAS THE SENATOR FROM MASSACHUSETTS, AND MASSACHUSETTS LIKES ITS MODERATE REPUBLICANS.
HE WAS GOING TO RUN FOR REELECTION.
HE HAD JUST BEATEN A WOMAN NOT TOO LONG BEFORE THEN.
HE HAD A 65% APPROVAL RATING.
HE HAD MORE THAN $10 MILLION IN THE BANK ALREADY.
PEOPLE CALLED AND SAID NOBODY IS GOING TO BEAT THIS GUY, BUT YOU COULD GET IN THE RACE.
AND THEN THEY WOULD SAY, OF COURSE, YOU ARE NOT GOING TO WIN.
I HAVE TO SAY DEMOCRATS, GET UP SALES PITCH.
BUT I -- GET A BETTER SALES PITCH.
BUT I JUMPED IN THE RACE AND I KNEW WHY I WAS RUNNING.
I KNEW WHAT I WAS FIGHTING FOR.
HERE WAS THE COMMITMENT I MADE TO MYSELF ON THE FIRST DAY.
EVERY SINGLE DAY I WOULD GO OUT AND TALK TO PEOPL ABOUT SOMETHING THAT MATTERED.
BIG GROUP, LITTLE GROUP, WHATEVER I COULD GET TOGETHER.
I WOULD GO OUT AND TALK ABOUT CHILDCARE.
I WOULD GO OUT AND TALK ABOUT HEALTH CARE.
I WOULD GO OUT AND TALK ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE.
I WOULD GO OUT AND TALK ABOUT GUN SAFETY.
EVERY SINGLE DAY.
THE SECOND THING I DID IS EVERY TIME I MET A LITTLE GIRL, I WOULD GET DOWN ON ONE KNEE AND SAY MY NAME IS ELIZABETH AND I AM RUNNING FOR THE SENATE BECAUSE THAT’S WHAT GIRLS DO.
AND THEN WE DO PINKY PROMISES THAT WE GET OUT THERE AND FIGHT FOR WHAT WE BELIEVE IN.
I STARTED OUT 17 POINT DOWN AND I ENDED UP BEATING HIM BY SEVEN AND A HALF.
I GREW UP IN A PRETTY HARDSCRABBLE FAMILY AND I LEARNED EARLY ON THAT YOU DON’T GET WHAT YOU DON’T FIGHT FOR.
I KNOW HOW TO FIGHT AND I KNOW HOW TO WIN.
ADAM: A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE CONCERNED THAT THE PRIMARY IS MOVING TOO FAR TO THE LEFT, THAT WHOEVER COMES OUT OF THE PROCESS FOR THE DEMOCRATS WILL BE TOO FAR TO THE LEFT TO WIN IN A
GENERAL ELECTION.
WHAT DO YOU SAY TO VOTERS WHO HAVE THAT CONCERN?
SENATOR WARREN: I THINK A LOT OF LEFT RIGHT POLITICS DON’T APPLY MUCH ANYMORE.
LET ME GIVE YOU A COUPLE OF EXAMPLES.
I CAME OUT FOR A TWO CENTS WEALTH TAX, A TAX ON THE TOP 1/10 OF 1% OF THE GREAT FORTUNES OF THIS COUNTRY.
YOUR FIRST $50 MILLION, YOU KEEP FREE AND CLEAR, BUT AFTER THAT, YOU HAVE TO PITCH IN PENNY, AND A PENNY FOR EVERY DOLLAR AFTER THAT.
IT’S JUST LIKE A PROPERTY TAX THAT EVERY HOMEOWNER PAYS, ONL FOR THE BRAZILIAN HEIRS -- ONLY FOR THE BILLIONAIRES, IT ALSO COVERS THE YACHTS, T DIAMONDS.
THIS IS POPULAR NOT JUST WITH DEMOCRATS, BUT WITH INDEPENDENCE AND REPUBLICANS WHO RECOGNIZE THAT THIS ECONOMY HAS GOTTEN WAY OUT OF BALANCE.
THAT THIN SLICE AT THE TOP, THEY ARE NOT PAYING A FAIR SHA.
THE 99% LAST YEAR PAID ABOUT 7.2% OF THEIR TOTAL WEALTH IN TAXES.
THAT THIN SLICE PLAYED -- PAID ABOUT 3.2%.
SO ASKING THEM TO PITCH IN IS POPULAR AMONG DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICAN.
WE COULD CANCEL STUDENT LOAN DEBT FOR ABOUT 95% OF THE KIDS WHO HAVE STUDENT LINDA -- STUDENT LOAN DEBT.
THAT’S NOT JUST POPULAR WITH DEMOCRATS.
THAT’S POPULAR WITH DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS.
CHILDCARE FOR ALL OF OUR BABY’S AGE 0-5, PRE-K FOR ALL THREE-YEAR-OLDS AND FOUR-YEAR-OLDS, THESE ARE THE KINDS OF INVESTMENTS THAT AMERICA WANTS TO SEE.
I THINK OF THIS AS NOT DIRECTION MOVING SO MUCH ABOUT LEFT AND RIGHT, ALTHOUGH IT’S FINE IF YOU WANT TO DESCRIBE IT THAT WAY.
I THINK OF IT IS GETTING MORE IN SYNC WITH WHERE WORKING PEOPLE ARE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE AND ALL ACROSS THIS COUNTRY.
ADAM: YOU WERE THE FIRST PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE TO CALL FOR THE IMPEACHMENT OF PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP AFTER THE RELEASE OF THE SUMMARY OF THE MOLAR REPORT.
WHY ISN’T THE 2020 ELECT -- THE ROBERT MUELLER REPORT.
WHY ISN’T THE 2020 ELECTION AN ADEQUATE TRIAL?
SENATOR WARREN: FIRST OF ALL, I DID NOT CALL FOR IT AFTER THE SUMMARY.
I SENT DOWN TO READ THE REPORT.
I NEVER INTENDED TO MAKE THE PRESIDENTIAL RACE ABOUT IMPEACHMENT.
I SAID I AM TAKING HIM ON IN 2020.
BUT THE DAY THE REPORT CAME OUT I SAT DOWN AND STARTED READING, AND I READ ALL THE WAY THROUGH INTO THE EVENING, INTO THE NIGHT, EARLY THE NEXT MORNING AND INTO THE AFTERNOON.
I REA ALL 448 PAGES OF THE REPORT.
AND WHEN I GOT TO TH END, IT WAS PERFECTL CLEAR, ROBERT MUELLER SAID, FIRST, A HOSTILE FOREIGN GOVERNMENT ATTACKED OUR 2016 ELECTION WITH THE INTENT HELPING DONALD TRUMP.
AND IT IS DOCUMENTED, FOOTNOTES, TESTIMONY, WRITTEN EVIDENCE, IT’S ALL THERE.
PART TWO, DONALD TRUMP WELCOMED THAT HELP.
AND AGAIN, PLENTY OF FOOTNOTES, PLENTY OF DOCUMENTATION.
PART THREE, WHEN OUR FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WENT TO INVESTIGATE PART ONE AND PART TWO AND DONALD TRUMP WAS NOW PRESIDENT, HE DID EVERYTHING HE COULD TO OBSTRUCT THAT INVESTIGATION.
SPECIAL PROSECUTOR MUELLER MAKES 10 SEPARATE COUNTS IN WHICH HEAT, AGAIN, DOCUMENTS, FOOTNOTES, AND SAYS HERE IS WHAT HE DID.
AT THE END, MUELLER SAYS IT IS NOT UP TO ME.
THIS IS A QUESTION FOR THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
I GET THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE FOR POLITICAL REASONS WHO SAY DON’T DO THIS.
BUT FO ME, SOME THINGS ARE A LOT BIGGER THAN POLITICS.
AND ONE OF THEM IS STEPPING UP AND SAYING NO ONE IS ABOVE THE LA, AND THAT INCLUDES THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES.
WHEN HE USES HIS OFFICE TO OBSTRUCT JUSTICE REPEATEDLY, THEN THIS IS AN IMPEACHABLE OFFENSE.
AND THIS MATTERS NOT JUST FOR DONALD TRUMP, THIS MATTERS FOR THE NEXT PRESIDENT AND THE ONE AFTER THAT, AND THE ONE AFTER THAT.
FOR ME, IT’S A MOMENT WHEN EVERYONE WHO HAS BEEN ELECTED TO CONGRESS, HOUSE AND SENATE, SHOULD HAVE TO STEP UP AND VOTE AND THEN LIVE WITH THE CONSEQUENCES OF THAT VOTE FOR
THE REST OF THEIR LIVES.
ADAM: SENATOR WARREN, THANK YOU FOR ANSWERING THESE QUESTIONS.
THERE ARE MORE TO COME, OF COURSE.
AFTER